Taj Gibson had ankle surgery Tuesday

Recovery time for Taj Gibson is around four months

Taj Gibson had ankle surgery Tuesday

Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson underwent an arthroscopy and repair of his left ankle on Tuesday, June 16. The surgery was performed by foot specialist Dr. David Porter in Indianapolis. Gibson’s surgery went as expected and he has begun the rehabilitation process. His estimated time to return to full basketball activity is approximately four months.

The 29-year old Gibson recently completed his sixth season in the NBA, where he appeared in 62 games (17 starts) and posted 10.3 ppg on .502 shooting, 6.4 rpg, 1.21 bpg and 1.1 apg in 27.3 mpg. He also played in all 12 of Chicago’s playoff games (two starts) and averaged 7.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.0 apg and 1.00 bpg in 23.0 mpg.

Loss of Kyrie Irving was crucial for Cavs in NBA Finals

Without Kyrie Irving, Cavs were serious underdog vs Warriors

The Warriors won Tuesday’s NBA Finals Game 6 to beat the Cavaliers and win the 2015 NBA championship. Here’s the News Herald reporting on a critical issue that helped ensure Cleveland’s defeat:

Loss of Kyrie Irving was crucial for Cavs in NBA Finals

The loss of All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving after Game 1 was probably the last straw for the Cavs.

His broken knee cap elevated Matthew Dellavedova into the starting lineup. Dellavedova had a brief flurry of spirited play, but eventually settled into what he really was: an undrafted backup role player. Pitting him against league MVP Stephen Curry was almost cruel.

Curry was fueled by all the admiration Dellavedova got early in the series. He was irked by the thought of Dellavedova slowing him down. Curry averaged 26 points in the series, 28 in the last three games.

Kevin Love was injured in Game 4 of the Boston series. They shifted Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup to replace Love, and the Cavs’ defense and rebounding intensified.

“The injuries they suffered were just too much,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “This would have been a different series with Kyrie and Kevin Love.”

Jeff Green exercises contract option to stay with Grizzlies

Grizzlies forward Jeff Green will stick with team for 2015-16 season

Jeff Green exercises contract option to stay with Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace announced today that Grizzlies forward Jeff Green has exercised his player option for the 2015-16 season.

Green (6-9, 235) averaged 15.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 31.5 minutes in 78 games (70 starts) last season with the Grizzlies and Boston Celtics. Acquired by Memphis from Boston in a three-team trade on Jan. 12, he recorded 13.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 30.3 minutes in 45 games (37 starts) with the Grizzlies. Green shot a team-high .398 from three-point range after the All-Star Break and increased his three-point percentage to .438 over the final 20 games of the regular season.

The 28-year-old posted 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 27.1 minutes in 11 games (two starts) for Memphis during the 2015 NBA Playoffs.

Drafted by Boston in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft, Green holds career averages of 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 32.6 minutes in 556 games (432 starts) for the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston and Memphis. The Hyattsville, Md. native starred for three seasons at Georgetown University (2004-07), earning 2007 Big East Player of the Year honors as a junior and leading the Hoyas to the 2006 NCAA Final Four as a sophomore, the program’s first NCAA Final Four appearance since 1985.

Eric Gordon exercises contract option to stay with Pelicans

Guard Eric Gordon elects to remain with Pelicans

Eric Gordon exercises contract option to stay with Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that guard Eric Gordon has exercised the one-year player option on his contract for the 2015-16 season.

Gordon, 6-3, 215, appeared in 61 games for the Pelicans last season, averaging 13.4 points while shooting a career-high .448 from three-point range, and helped New Orleans reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season. In four seasons in New Orleans, Gordon has averaged 15.4 points while shooting .392 from three-point range, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

“I’m really excited to continue playing for the Pelicans,” stated Gordon. “We had a strong finish to last season. And with this core group of young players we have, and with Alvin Gentry’s new leadership and vision, we all expect even bigger things next season.”

Originally selected seventh overall out of Indiana University in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Clippers, Gordon was acquired by New Orleans in a trade on Dec. 14, 2011. In 372 career games with Los Angeles and New Orleans, Gordon holds career averages of 17.4 points on .383 shooting from three-point range, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.

“We are thrilled to have Eric Gordon on our roster for the 2015-16 season,” said General Manager Dell Demps. “Eric was a huge contributor to our success last season and we are excited to have him continue as one of the leaders of our team.”

Will Pelicans, Norris Cole stick together?

Cole has value, but unclear if his future is in New Orleans

Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune reporting on guard Norris Cole, who split last season between the Heat and Pelicans. After becoming a Pelican he played 28 games, averaging 9.9 points and 3.2 assists in 24.4 minutes per outing:

Will Pelicans, Norris Cole stick together?

Cole established his value as a backup point guard in the old Pelicans’ system, and based on the projected product that new coach Alvin Gentry is expected to unleash, Cole could even be considered a good fit as a starter.

He’ll be a restricted free agent on July 1 and the Pelicans will have the opportunity to match any offer Cole might receive on the open market.

Given the uncertain health of Jrue Holiday over the last two seasons, the Pelicans should jump at the chance to get Cole back, depending, of course, on fiscal prudency.

New Orleans has a critical need for a dependable backup at the one, and in the 28 games Cole played with the Pelicans last year he proved he can handle the job.

Gerald Henderson exercises Hornets contract option for next season

gerald henderson

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that guard Gerald Henderson has exercised his player option for the 2015-16 season.

Initially selected by Charlotte with the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Henderson played in a team-high 80 games with 72 starts last season and averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 28.9 minutes per game. He shot a career-high .848 from the free-throw line (184-217), ranking 26th in the NBA, and made a career-best 45 three-point field goals. Henderson scored in double figures 51 times on the season, including 11 games of 20 points or more. He had two double-doubles, setting a career high of 14 rebounds in one and a career high of 11 assists in the other.

In six seasons with Charlotte, Henderson has played in 391 career games with averages of 12.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 27.5 minutes, while shooting .443 from the field (1783-4029) and .794 from the free-throw line (995-1253).

Danny Granger exercises contract option to stay with Suns

Logical move, since Granger’s value is low right now

Danny Granger exercises option to stay with Suns

Phoenix Suns forward Danny Granger has exercised the one-year player option on his contract for the 2015-16 season.

Granger, a 10-year NBA veteran and one-time All-Star, was acquired by the Suns from the Miami Heat in a trade on Feb. 19, 2015. The 6-9 wing out of the University of New Mexico holds career averages of 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 586 games with the Indiana Pacers (2005-14), Los Angeles Clippers (2013-14) and Miami (2014-15).

LeBron did a ton in Finals, but lacked help

With Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Anderson Varejao (remember him?) out, the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by leBron James, were good but not good enough to handle the best team in the league this season, the Golden State Warriors. Last night in Cleveland the Warriors won the NBA championship in six games. Here’s the Northeast Ohio News Group reporting:

LeBron did a ton in Finals, but lacked help

James put in game-highs of 32 points and 18 rebounds to go with eight assists in 46 minutes. He had to fight and claw for each statistic. He was 13-of-33 from the field. After scoring his 12th point, James became the sixth player in NBA history to reach 5,000 career postseason points.

Andre Iguodala led the Warriors with 25 points. His insertion into the starting lineup in Game 4 changed the dynamic of the series. Stephen Curry registered 25 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Eight of his points came in the final quarter.

For the vanquished Eastern Conference champs, it was an incredible postseason run considering the loss of Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. The Q was electric and sheer pandemonium for two and a half quarters. But the noise subsided when it became clear that Warriors were not going to let up in the Cavaliers’ final home game of the season.

“If we want to play another day and live to fight for the championship, we need to win today,” Cavs coach David Blatt said before the game. “So it’s about survival right now, and that’s what you’re looking for.”

They didn’t play like they were in survival mode early on. Golden State got out to a quick 15-point lead in the opening quarter. The Cavs went with their normal Finals lineup with Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov in the front line, only to see Iguodala take repeated open midrange jumpers off of the pick-and-roll game against the overmatched Mozgov.

Andre Iguodala wins 2015 NBA Finals MVP

The Warriors won the NBA championship last night. And although the award could easily have gone to guard Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala was named winner of the 2015 NBA Finals MVP award. Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle reporting:

All season long, Andre Iguodala had to answer the same questions over and over: How did he feel about not starting? How did he feel about coming off the bench? As an Olympic gold medalist and former All-Star, didn’t it bother him to sit?

Iguodala, true to his nature, never once bristled at the line of questioning. Never once did he give any indication of frustration. Instead, he patiently recited the company line: The team comes before any one individual. He was willing to do whatever the team needed to win.

In the NBA Finals, Iguodala’s patience and maturity paid huge dividends for the Warriors. Tasked with defending the best player in the world, Iguodala turned in the performance of a lifetime. Iguodala slowed down LeBron James just enough for the Warriors to win their first title in 40 years. And Iguodala found enough life in his legs to provide a real spark on offense, too.

After scoring a season-high 25 points in Tuesday night’s title-clinching win, Iguodala was named the NBA Finals MVP.

Bulls hire Jim Boylen as associate head coach

Chicago Bulls name Jim Boylen associate head coach, under Fred Hoiberg

The Chicago Bulls announced today that Jim Boylen has been appointed associate head coach on Fred Hoiberg’s coaching staff.

“I am very excited to add Jim to our staff as our associate head coach. His track record speaks for itself with nearly 30 years of coaching experience and three NBA championships on his resume,” said Hoiberg. “His work ethic and attention to detail will help our team every day, and I look forward to working with him as we prepare for next season.”

Boylen comes to Chicago with 29 years of coaching experience, including 17 years of service in the NBA. The East Grand Rapids, Mich. native spent the last two seasons on Gregg Popovich’s staff in San Antonio. Boylen entered the NBA in 1992-93 with the Houston Rockets, where he broke in as the team’s video coordinator/scout. Following four seasons in that role, he was promoted to assistant coach on Rudy Tomjanovich’s staff. In addition to his stints with the Spurs and Rockets, Boylen has also served as an assistant coach with Golden State (2003-04), Milwaukee (2004-05) and Indiana (2011-13).

“We are fortunate to be able to add someone with the credentials that Jim has,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “He will be a big asset to Fred and our players.”

Following a collegiate career at the University of Maine, where he earned First Team All-North Atlantic honors and was runner-up to Reggie Lewis for conference player of the year in 1986-87, he began his coaching career as an assistant coach under Jud Heathcote at Michigan State. In 2005, after 13 seasons in the NBA, he returned to East Lansing, where he served as Tom Izzo’s top assistant. In March of 2007, after two seasons in his second stint with the Spartans, he was named head coach at the University of Utah. Boylen spent four seasons with the Utes and guided them to a record of 69-60 and a trip to the 2009 NCAA Tournament.